


Unconditionally

by Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force



Series: Bumbleby Oneshots [18]
Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Let Yang cuddle her gf, Touch-Starved, reference to abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:20:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26679619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force/pseuds/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force
Summary: Blake is learning and Yang is unconditionally patient.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Series: Bumbleby Oneshots [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926181
Comments: 13
Kudos: 292





	Unconditionally

Blake bites her lip as Yang offers her a grin before jumping up to her bunk and setting down with a tired sigh. She can still feel the imprint of Yang’s hand on her shoulder, can still feel the way her partner’s warmth makes her skin prickle. She swallows, hard, and tries not to think about how  _ difficult  _ it was becoming to keep from leaning into Yang at every opportunity. How  _ hard  _ it was to refrain from actively seeking out her touch. How much she was beginning to  _ crave  _ being near Yang.

She has to stop. She can’t become clingy. Clingy wasn’t good. Clingy was too much and overwhelming and it would just drive Yang off.

But still, Blake finds herself unable to sleep, instead listening to the soft snores of her teammates as frustration threatens to make her tear her hair out. She didn’t  _ need  _ to be near Yang. She didn’t  _ need _ to feel her arms around her, to feel her comforting warmth. She didn’t _ need  _ Yang to play with her hair nor did she  _ need  _ her to trail her fingers down her spine to rub her back in that soothing way she always did when Blake feels anxious. Blake doesn’t  _ need  _ any of these things. She can live without them. She  _ has  _ lived without such gentleness for oh so many painful years.

_ But Brothers, does she want it. _

She groans under her breath, trying to get the image of Yang pulling her into her arms and cuddling her out of her mind. What was wrong with her? She stood up against the White Fang when they worked for Torchwick. She won in a fight with him! She’s fought countless enemies, including those at the fall of Beacon and every enemy after that! She fought for and won her freedom, with Yang right by her side the entire time! She should be stronger than this!

“Why am I like this?” She whispers to herself, one of her pillows from beneath her head and cuddling it to her chest. She buries her face in it and for a moment, she can almost trick herself into believing that it’s Yang’s shoulder. But the pillow is unfortunately cold, far too cold to be any sort of replacement for Yang Xiao Long.

“Blake?”

Blake muffles a squeal as Yang’s voice pipes up and sits up just in time to see Yang pop her head down from her bunk, her brow pinching in concern as she takes in Blake’s embarrassed flush. Blake grins, far too brightly as Yang watches her, hoping that Yang won’t ask her what’s wrong. “Yes, Yang?”

“Are you okay?”

“Pfft! Me? Hah! Of course I am!” Blake’s voice pitches, her black cat ears pressing back against her hair as her amber eyes fart away from Yang. She hugs her pillow tight against her chest, fidgeting with the fabric nervously. “Why would- what makes you ask that?”

“Uh… I can hear you tossing and turning. You’re usually a pretty quiet sleeper.”

“Should I be concerned that you know that?”

“We… shared a room at Beacon, Blake.” Yang says dryly, quirking a brow at her before she somehow manages to shrug despite being upside down. “Plus… you kind of just told me that you’re  _ not _ okay.”

“I did not!”

“Nope. But your reaction did.”

Blake glares indignantly at her partner for a moment before sighing heavily. She can’t lie to Yang. Not when she’s watching her with such a tender, patient expression in her lilac eyes, a small and fond smile crossing her lips. “It’s fine, Yang. It’s nothing to be worried about.”

“Hm. See… here’s the thing… you’re my partner and my best friend so… I’m going to worry whether you want me to or not, Belladonna.” Yang says with a smirk, reaching out to poke Blake’s nose. Instantly, Blake jolts at the touch, inhaling sharply as Yang’s warmth seeps into her skin, even though it's  _ such  _ a small thing. “Hey, you know you can talk to me, right? About anything?” Yang adds softly, her hand moving to brush her thumb against Blake’s cheek before pulling away. She frowns slightly as Blake fails to bite back a whimper, moving her head in a subconscious effort to keep contact with Yang. “Do you wanna come up here? Lay with me for a bit? I can’t sleep either.”

“What? No. No, I’m fine.” Blake turns her head away, shame making her cheeks burn. “I’m not going to bother you with this.”

“You could never bother me. Now… stop thinking about what you shouldn’t do and tell me; do you  _ want _ to come up here?” Yang asks with a gentle firmness, her gaze open and honest and so,  _ so  _ patient.

“... yes.”

“Okay. Then shake your booty and get up here.” Yang shoots her a grin and a wink as she retreats. 

Blake waits for a moment before the yearning she felt earlier becomes far worse now that she has Yang’s permission to be near her and she groans, letting her head fall against the wall with a full thunk before she throws her pillow to the side and climbs up to Yang’s bunk with a quiet grumble. She chooses to ignore Yang’s smug grin as she lifts up the blanket for Blake to slip under and soon, they’re laying face to face with their heads on Yang’s pillows as Blake tries not to touch Yang, her gaze locked into her collarbone in an attempt to not look at her. 

“Do you wanna talk about what’s bothering you?” Yang says quietly, concern tinting her voice as she moves her head a little closer to Blake. “I know something’s wrong.”

“It’s nothing, Yang.” Blake mumbles, trying not to shudder as Yang’s hand grazes her own. Her breath becomes caught in her throat as Yang skims her hand up to rub gently at her shoulder and it takes all of her willpower  _ not _ to tuck herself into Yang’s neck. “It’s nothing.” She repeats, hating how small and vulnerable she sounds. How shaky her voice is.

“... okay. If you  _ really  _ don't want to talk about it, I won’t push. But Blake-“ Yang pauses, biting her lip as she curls her fingers under Blake’s chin and gently lifts her head to give her eye contact. “-please don’t shut me out because you think that whatever is going on in that head of yours is going to chase me off. I’m here for you. That means  _ all  _ of you.  _ Unconditionally. _ ”

Blake can’t help but reach up for Yang’s hand, moving it to press her cheek into her partner’s palm, unable to stop herself from seeking out more of Yang’s gentle, caring touch. She closes her eyes and lets out a shaky breath as Yang makes a concerned noise in her throat and brushes her thumb across Blake’s cheek. “I- I don’t know how to- I don’t-“ Blake struggles for a moment, clenching her jaw as Yang butts their foreheads together gently. 

“Take a deep breath for me.” Yang soothes gently, her breath ghosting over Blake’s lips, earning a shiver from her. “It’s okay. Take your time, Blake. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I… I like being close to you.” Blake admits quietly, unable to meet Yang’s eyes. “I  _ really  _ like it, actually.”

“I fail to see the problem with that.” 

Blake snaps open her eyes and stares in disbelief at a mildly confused Yang, who tilts her head at Blake. Blake stumbles over her words for a long moment before huffing, ears pinning back against her hair as she stares at Yang. “What do you  _ mean  _ you fail to see the problem with that?”

“I mean… why is it a bad thing?” Yang says slowly, carefully, as she slowly blinks at Blake, mimicking how Blake often used the same gesture as a means of silently conveying affection. “Being near other people is good for us, you know.  _ This  _ is good for us.” She adds, stroking Blake’s cheek for emphasis. “So why does liking it bother you?”

“Because-  _ Ugh. _ Because it makes it hard to- to not seek it out!” Blake’s voice cracks and she looks away from her partner, chest growing tight. “Because I’ll become too much and-“

“Woah, hold up. Why would you be too much? Why would seeking it out be too much?” Yang says calmly, guiding Blake back to look at her with a gentle hand. “In case you can’t tell… I  _ really  _ like being near you too. This…  _ really  _ isn’t too much, Blake.  _ You’re  _ not too much. You’re allowed to need this. You’re allowed to need affection and to be held. You’re allowed to  _ ask  _ for it.” Yang shakes her head softly and frowns, a muscle in her jaw twitching. “Is- did  _ he  _ teach you that you can’t?”

Blake flinches, and she watches as Yang’s eyes tint red for a moment before fading back into lilac, a pained look entering them as she tucks Blake’s hair behind her ear and cups her jaw tenderly. “Yang?” She whispers, throat going dry as Yang carefully, tenderly, trails her hand down her spine and rubs soothingly at her back.

“Tell me what you need, Blake.” Yang murmurs, as Blake reaches out to hesitantly curl her hands against her shoulders. 

“I-“ Blake falters for a moment before deciding to take a leap of faith. “I need you to hold me.”

Her voice wavers but Yang simply smiles softly at her and opens up her arms wordlessly, letting Blake move into them at her own pace. Blake shuffles closer to Yang, letting out a shaky breath as Yang curls her arms around her. It’s not possessive, nor is it demanding. It’s gentle, warm and protective, though they both know that Blake doesn’t need to be protected. It is, Blake decides, nice to  _ choose  _ vulnerability. To let herself be needy, to accept affection and care, to let herself be comforted. And as she nuzzles in her partner’s neck, inhaling and drinking her in, Yang makes her feel safe in a way that no one else ever has. 

“Yeah.” Yang breathes out against Blake’s hair, burrowing her nose in between Blake’s cat ears and smiling. “I  _ definitely  _ like this.” 

Blake lets out a shuddering breath as Yang begins to play with her hair, pressing a small smile to her partner’s neck. “Thank you.”

“No need. I have no qualms about cuddling a pretty girl.” Yang teases, pulling a small, amused snort from Blake as she playfully squeezes her. “But seriously, Blake… if you ever need a hug or whatever… you can always ask me. Okay?”

Blake hums in acknowledgment, closing her eyes and sinking into Yang’s embrace. While she knows that she has a long way to go in terms of healing from the wounds that Adam had left upon her heart and soul, she knows that she has Yang’s support and care…

_ Unconditionally. _


End file.
